Modernization
GAO raps FCC for communication breakdowns
The Federal Communications Commission needs to better manage the way it obtains policy input from the public and from its own staff experts, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Cybersecurity
DHS biosurveillance center not getting enough data, GAO says
The DHS National Biosurveillance Integration Center is relying on Internet data at the moment because it has not been able to establish partnerships with federal agencies to get federal data, the GAO said in a new report.
Cybersecurity
DHS lacks strategic plan for managing integration, GAO says
While the Homeland Security secretary talks about DHS unification, GAO finds gaps in plans to achieve departmental IT integration.
People
House panel told of abuses in VA set-aside program
Veterans Affairs Department officials failed to punish business owners who lied to them to get a contract set aside for service-disabled veterans.
Cybersecurity
TWIC card reader tests need best practices, GAO says
GAO gave TSA a mixed review in its latest evaluation of the transportation worker ID card program.
Cybersecurity
Delays beset DHS financial systems procurement
The Homeland Security Department's second attempt to integrate its financial systems is more than a year behind the original schedule, according to a new GAO report.
Acquisition
Agencies spending stimulus bucks through no-bid contracts, GAO finds
SBA, HUD and NASA awarded 35 percent or more of their stimulus law contracts noncompetitively, according to a new GAO report.
Acquisition
DOD to scrutinize contractors' support services
DOD will revise how its managers review contractors’ services that support work that is set aside for only government employees to perform.
People
GAO says it saved taxpayers $43B in fiscal 2009
The Government Accountability Office estimates that it has helped save taxpayers $43 billion in fiscal 2009 based on improvements that originated in its reports.
People
New rule targets award fees
A new rule could discourage contractors from competing for award-fee contracts by raising their level of risk, experts say.
Cybersecurity
FBI pushes back completion date for Sentinel file system
The FBI plans to complete the development of its new electronic case management system in September 2010, months later than previously planned, according to the Justice Department's inspector general.
People
Some IT projects may have $2 billion in overruns, GAO says
The GAO found $2 billion in cost overruns compared with original estimates for 16 major IT projects.
People
GSA starts training to end misuse of schedules contracts
Task orders have become the primary means that agencies use to buy things, but procurement officers don't always understand the regulations, officials say.
Acquisition
Federal cost-reimbursement contract overview is a mess, GAO says
It is hard to get a handle on federal cost-reimbursement contracts because of missing documentation and incomplete accounting, says a new GAO report
Cybersecurity
DHS' critical infrastructure plan not cyber-secure, GAO says
The Homeland Security Department should reassess its program for working with agencies and industry to secure critical infrastructure from cyber vulnerabilities, GAO says.
Digital Government
Flu pandemic could overwhelm Internet capacity, GAO warns
A severe flu outbreak could overwhelm the Internet as millions of workers telecommuted
Digital Government
IRS wins some, loses a few in fight against identity theft and data loss
The IRS recorded more than 51,000 cases of taxpayer identity theft in 2008 and paid out $15 million in fraudulent refunds, and a GAO report finds that internal information security weaknesses constitute some of the most significant challenges faced by the agency.
People
Many purchase agreements lack competition, GAO says
Agencies awarded 60 percent of 336 blanket purchase agreements to a single vendor, GAO says.
Digital Government